Mike’s Musings ….
Beware of the Scammers!
This past Friday was an afternoon I wouldn’t wish on anyone! I’d received an email that indicated I owed a considerable amount of money for items I had not purchased. There was a number to call if the charges were unauthorized, so I called, and before I realized what was happening, a thief and a liar had taken full control of my computer! He demanded I give him my debit card information, or I would lose all my documents and programs on my computer, and it would be “forever locked.” With my refusal to comply with his demands, indeed, my computer is locked, and I cannot unlock it. (I’m working on an older computer and have an appointment with a company to see if they can “unlock” and “unhack” my newest computer!)
What angers me most is the fact that I allowed myself to be duped by this scammer! The email was suspicious, and since I never use that account, I should have called my bank and made sure nothing was pending that should not be pending. But the scam sounded so official and accurate. Not until he had taken full control of my computer did I realize how deep I had fallen into his trap. Further, all the begging and pleading with this man availed nothing, and proving he had lied to me and stolen my needed work persuaded him even less! He then dared to call me back and insist I purchase a $500 “gift card” before he would restore my computer. I refused, and then sat hopelessly as I watched the contents of my computer vanish one by one! Indeed, the workings of a liar and a thief are deceitful, and many can be and are trapped!
2 Timothy 3:13 says, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Note the evil men and seducers deceive, but what of those being deceived? Deception is one of the Devil’s greatest tools. He even appears as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:4). It is no wonder so many can be so easily duped into believing lies! While I’ll get over being scammed (and be all the wiser for the next time), it is much more deadly to the soul when it involves believing a lie concerning what God says we must do to obey Him! That’s why it is so vitally important to “PROVE ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22) Muse on how ignorant and angry you feel when you’re duped by a scammer who ruins your day and your equipment. And then muse on how you will feel ETERNALLY if you let your SOUL be duped by falsehoods!